Chapter 10 Summary

Rosy gave her talk on her crystallographic research into DNA, with Watson attending. She did not mention model building or helices, ignoring Linus Pauling's ideas. She seemed to believe that research on DNA structure required much plodding crystallographic research. Maurice seemed pleased that Rosy hadn't made any important steps forward and also that Watson, a phage researcher, was interested in DNA, which much of the scientific community felt was not important. However, Rosy's attitude and "characteristically tense small talk" left a pall on the evening.

Chapter 10 Analysis

Again, Rosy, the most prominent female character in the book, is portrayed as painfully closed-minded and stodgy. The author states, at the beginning of the lecture, "Momentarily I wondered how she would look if she took off her glasses and did something novel with her hair." This emphasis on Rosy's looks makes the reader wonder about...